Some people miss meat. Others miss chewing gum. But one of the other big obstacles to take steps from omnivore to vegetarian is getting past the pescatarian (or pescetarian) phase.

The American Heart Association gives plenty of pros for consuming seafood at least two times per week: protein, fights against cardiovascular disease, decreases the risk of arrhythmias (abnormal heartbeats), lowers blood pressure and slows the growth rate of atherosclerotic plaque (plaque buildup in the arteries).

Fatty fish recommendations that are high in omega-3 fatty acids include salmon, mackerel, herring, lake trout, sardines and albacore tuna.

But for every pro, there is a con, and some seafood is high in mercury. Low mercury seafood includes shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, pollock and catfish.

To a vegetarian or vegan, those benefits don't matter nearly as much as a living thing being killed for consumption, especially when there are healthy alternatives. However, the truth is that for some newbies, the biggest issue with giving up a pescatarian diet is missing the taste of seafood. It can be even more difficult to a past omnivore than giving up chicken, beef or poultry.

Big fan of crab rangoon? Try The Picky Vegan's rangoon recipe. Recipes like this may come as a shock to seafood lovers, and they'll immediately identify whether it's the seafood that makes the product taste good or is it everything else? In the case of this recipe, a mix of the Tofutti and the scallops provide a similar texture to crab.

As with any diet, some are able to go cold turkey. Others may cheat and revert back to old habits. Both reactions are fair, especially for those who used to eat meat. It takes less time to miss something you've never had than it does for someone who knows what food "should" taste like and constantly compare the two. Give it time. Get creative. Try plenty of recipes to see which ones to keep and which ones to leave.

Additional Tips:

Vegan Crab Rangoon:

Serving Size: The recipe link is for 24. The measurements below are for 8 rangoon.

Weight Watchers members: 2 points per puff (Note: Average points for crab rangoon, according to USDA's SuperTracker statistics, is 2 pts per puff. However, restaurant versions usually serve crab rangoon twice the size of small puffs. For large rangoon, each one is 4 points per puff.)

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Vegan rangoon(Shamontiel L. Vaughn)

Vegan rangoon

This is the final version of a vegan rangoon recipe that Shamontiel prepared after trying to get over her love of crab rangoon, the only dish she ate that kept her in the pescatarian category. Click here for The Picky Vegan's recipe and instructions.

Wontop wraps(Shamontiel L. Vaughn)

Wontop wraps

This is Nasoya All Natural Won Top Wraps. One serving is 8 wraps. One serving of Tofutti Better Than Sour Cream is 2 tablespoons.

Final dish: Vegan rangoon

This is the second round of a vegan rangoon recipe that Shamontiel prepared after trying to get over her love of crab rangoon, the only dish she ate that kept her in the pescatarian category. Click here for The Picky Vegan's recipe and instructions.

Vegan crab cakes(Shamontiel L. Vaughn)

Vegan crab cakes

What's great about this recipe is even if you're not a fan of crab cakes, The Comforting Vegan's vegan crab cake recipe is a great way to blend a bunch of vegetables and protein into one.

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Shamontiel has always been interested in a vegetarian lifestyle since her childhood days of watching a friend eat meatless spaghetti. She slowly started pushing meat to the side in elementary and high school, but it wasn't until college when she bought all of her own groceries that she stopped eating meat altogether. After writing her first novel, "Change for a Twenty" and including a main character who was a vegetarian, a PETA representative contacted her. Teaming up to talk with a PETA rep who focused on hip-hop's influence on vegetarianism made Shamontiel's interest go from not eating meat for taste reasons to not eating meat for moral reasons. She is a 10-year vegetarian and tries her bust to support animal-friendly products. For feedback or press queries, contact her at Shamontiel.com.